Although the film is a work of fiction, Chinatown was inspired by a real-life series of political and legal conflicts over water rights known as the California Water Wars.
The origins of the California Water Wars can be traced back to the early 1900s, when the state experienced rapid population growth and economic development. Water was essential for the expansion of agriculture, industry, and urban areas, and various interests competed for access to limited water supplies.
Among the most famous and protracted conflicts associated with the California Water Wars was between Owens Valley—a rural region in Eastern California—and the City of Los Angeles. In 1904, the Los Angeles population had reached 200,000 and it was running out of water to support the booming population’s needs. Led by William Mulholland and Fred Eaton, the city began covertly to buy land and associated water rights in Owens Valley. Without informing local farmers about their plans, the city acquired land so they could divert water from the region via a newly constructed gravity-fed Los Angeles Aqueduct. An engineering feat, the aqueduct took years to build and was 200 miles long, crossing arid desert and tunneling through mountains. The Owens Valley economy and community suffered with its water sources drying up, and farmers destroyed the aqueduct in 1924 with dynamite.
However, Los Angeles repaired the aqueduct and continued diverting water. Soon lakes in the Owens Valley were dry, and desertification ruined delicate ecosystems. Because of ongoing land-buying efforts, the city of Los Angeles owned ninety percent of water in the Owens Valley by 1928. Prioritizing the city’s water needs over those of the valley led to desertification and the effective death of the agricultural economy in Owens Valley. Meanwhile, Mulholland was already looking ahead to future water needs for the still-growing population of Los Angeles, his sights set on the Colorado River.
